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URBAN ARTIST MARKET SAFETY PROTOCOL

The Urban Artist Market has implemented several procedural changes to ensure safety of our exhibitors and attendees.

1. We’ve relocated the show to the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas because the Grand Ballroom offers more floor space.
2. More space means extra wide aisles and the ability to create a one-way traffic flow through the show room floor; with only one entrance and one exit.
3. We’re selling tickets online before the event in 2-hour slots to ensure a limited amount of traffic on the show floor at any given time. We have calculated the amount of people permitted in the Grand Ballroom to ensure 6 foot distancing recommendations and will monitor entrance in any given time slot. However, walk-in tickets will be sold when admission quotas have not been exceeded.
4. The Urban Artist Market has expanded their open hours to spread out traffic evenly over the 2-day event.
5. Our exhibitors will wear masks throughout the event whenever anyone is near their booth footprint. All attendees will be required to wear masks upon entering the hall.
6. Disposable masks will be available at the entrance for attendees who have not brought their own mask.
7. Hand sanitizer stations will be positioned at the entrance and throughout the show floor.
8. The Irving Convention Center provides detailed Safety and Sanitation protocols in alignment with public health authorities, medical and industry experts. For detailed information, click here https://www.irvingconventioncenter.com/about/safety-sanitation/
9. The Urban Artist Market will not be passing appetizers or drinks during the July event, however, the Irving Convention Center will be providing a snack stand with glass barriers in the main lobby that adheres to safety standards.
10. On Saturday, July 18, the show will open 10-12 noon to provide early shopping access for immune compromised and our community 65 years of age and up. Masks will be required on all exhibitors and attendees in that time slot.
11. Shoppers will be encouraged to limit touch to art that they are purchasing. Exhibitors will promote “touch-free” shopping with signage in their booth.

• Social distancing measures were designed into the event’s new outside format.
• Each artist’s booth is 10 feet apart from the next, and they will have ample room to exit the booth from one side when needed.
• Aisles between booths are more than 30 feet wide, and markers will be out to direct two-way directional pedestrian traffic.
• Guests and artists are required to wear face masks when a 6 foot distance cannot be maintained, and each booth will have sanitization products, both for guest use and to disinfect any object that may be handled by visitors.

These past few months have brought an unprecedented challenge to maintain the constantly changing event information on FestivalNet. Promoters are in a very difficult position to make decisions far enough in advance to coordinate vendors and venues while trying to make a profit without endangering the public. Decisions can and often do, change overnight.

We are having to go back and double check the current 2020 events, which has put us behind on updating last year's event listings on our site. We are hopeful that we will be able to get more events updated as states are opening up and we are finding future 2020 and 2021 dates on the events websites.

We have always taken pride in keeping our listings as up-to-date and correct as possible so that we can help you all plan your schedule for the year. We are confident that we provide the most consolidated up to date event information on the web. Despite the obvious financial impact we have undergone, we have increased our staff in an attempt to continue to bring our members the most current event information possible. We apologize if some event listings have not been up to the standards that you have come to expect.

Please know that we will continue to work diligently to update listings and remove the ones that we know are not taking place. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.

In 2020, it's not 'art fair as usual' for the Sawdust Summer Art Festival in Laguna Beach who has  responded to our current social landscape by downsizing this year. State and county health guidelines have helped morph the Sawdust Art Festival into an ongoing weekend Outdoor Marketplace instead of its traditional summer festival.

"Our first priority is the health and wellbeing of our artists, staff, and patrons. Knowing that even a modified version of our annual festival would not meet reopening criteria, our board of directors quickly pivoted in a different direction", stated Monica Prado, President of the Sawdust Board of the Directors.





Under an outdoor eucalyptus grove, artists will uniquely configure their space to allow for social distancing; more than 100 Sawdust artists will rotate through over the course of the summer.
Sawdust has taken all the necessary steps to keep everyone safe.

"Art is essential. Artists are Innovators. Over the past months we have focused our passion and creativity on finding a way to open a safe and meaningful show for our artists, community and guests. This year, Sawdust Art Festival is proud to present a smaller more personal Weekend Outdoor Marketplace, giving patrons the feeling of safety while whisking them into a world filled with art. Art allows us to be at peace, to enjoy the present, and to respond to the beauty in front of us. Smaller, but more personal." - Event Website


Bravo Sawdust! Way to stay current and take swift action to keep your event alive this year. 



When and Where

Sawdust Festival Presents an Outdoor Marketplace 

935 Laguna Canyon Road
Laguna Beach,
CA 92651

Weekends, July 17 - September 6, 2020

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 10am to 6pm

sawdustartfestival.org


 

Got the COVID-crazy Craft Fair Vendor Blues? Stay Busy! Here are some tips on using this downtime to drum up business, expand your reach, and help keep your business going.

#2 Do the Social Media Thing! Many Craft Fairs might be closed this summer, but the internet is open 24/7. If you want your craft business to survive during social distancing, participating in social media as a business is simply unavoidable. There’s no way around it. People are on social media more often than individual websites or even reading their email. You want to be where the people are. Using hashtags to let folks find what you do, using strong photography and helpful descriptions, and offering sales and discounts are ways to bring in business. There are endless resources online with guidance for being effective in social media. Invest in yourself by learning and putting what you learn into action! Here’s an article about using Instagram for your Business. Don’t stop there, look and see what other craft fair vendors are doing to drum up business with social media. 

Thanks for reading and wishing you all the best!

The Toronto Outdoor Art Fair (TOAF) has been happening every second weekend in July since 1961, rain or shine, in the heart of downtown Toronto. Social Distancing wasn't going to prevent Canada's leading contemporary outdoor art fair from supporting their artists and art lovers that would otherwise flock to Toronto. All over the world, people can virtually attend 10 days of Art, Awards, and other virtual events at TOAF's First Online Art Fair, July 2–12.

But this article isn't about their online art fair alone. TOAF created a dual-initiative response to COVID, a meaningful and impacting gesture to not only realistically support their 300+ participating artists but also spread the joy of art to the healthcare workers in their city.





"In this time of crisis, we felt that a gift of art could bring real joy and excitement to members of our community who are keeping us safe and allowing us to continue doing our work. Gifts of Heart is a way for our many devoted Fair-goers and art lovers to join us in doing something truly special for our artists, while honouring those frontline essential workers to whom we owe so much. So far we have had a wonderful reaction to the Gifts of Heart Program and raised $10,000 in the first week - that’s 40 gift cards for frontline workers already," Anahita Azrahimi, Executive & Creative Director, TOAF.

100% of the money raised goes directly to the artists while frontline healthcare workers will be able enjoy a 'gift card' to spend at the Online Art Fair! It's a beautiful win-win to help artists while showing the endearing love and appreciation we all feel for healthcare workers during this pandemic.

If TOAF reaches their goal to raise $100,000, they will be able to offer gifts to 400 frontline workers. This will also provide an income of $100,000 for their participating artists. The healthcare workers gifted will be able to shop for artwork at the online fair through the TOAF website.

"There will be a wonderful selection of paintings, photography, drawing, jewelery, ceramics, and so much more around the $250 price range for them to choose from," Azrahimi explains.

These days, we look for the helpers, the heroes and the initiatives which bring joy and positivity to those who need it most. We hope when we look back at this era in our lives, these are the stories we remember. To date, there is one month left to help TOAF reach their goal. If you are able, we invite you to donate.

Festival Vendors Struggle Through COVID-19

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 21, 2020

Julie Cochrane, Operations Manager

FestivalNet.com

800-200-3737  

Julie@FestivalNet.com

Festival Vendors in Search of Options

Almost 50% of vendors surveyed rely on events for all income

Raleigh, NC.  FestivalNet.com announces results of their May 2020 COVID-19 impact study. With more than 3,500 responded, the survey uncovered the challenges and creativity of being a festival vendor or performer.

Full survey results: https://festivalnet.com/blog/FestivalNet-Survey-Response-4196

Some quotes from our members:

“Unfortunately like many vendors, our products sell best when they can be seen in person, touched...tried on. I think online shows are going to be a big part of the new norm, but the in person are SO much better, especially the music festivals." - Craftsperson Lori Trafford, Montana

"I am a henna artist which requires me to be within 1 foot or less of a client in order to do my artwork on their body. With social distancing this is impossible, and I don't foresee people being comfortable sitting that close for at least 2 years..." - Lisa Paulger, Jacksonville Beach, Florida

About FestivalNet.com: Founded in 1996, FestivalNet serves festival vendors, artists, craftspeople, musicians, event promoters and visitors throughout North America. With more than 300,000 members, we provide detailed event information for more than 26,000 events and tools to help our community connect to make events successful. 



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Since 1996, FestivalNet.com has maintained a database of North American fairs and festivals, offering extensive event details for the exhibiting artist, performer, and vendor. We pride ourselves with providing the most event information from coast to coast and serving our members year after year by meeting their event research needs. As COVID-19 raged, changing every aspect of life as we knew it, Festivalnet.com hoped to gain an understanding of the impact and reach of this global health crisis within our community by conducting a business impact survey.

We've read every single reply. To all those who participated, we hear you loud and clear. Something that stood out to us when reading your feedback is people have a desire to connect. Tell their story. Be heard. We hope our response helps move our community closer together than ever before. 

To make that hope a reality, we're exploring new and creative ways to serve you with the intention of helping our community survive this most challenging of times, even as our country struggles to find ways to safely allow group gatherings.  

For many, dealing with this pandemic unfolded in stages starting with denial and often culminating in some form of productivity and a plan. FestivalNet member Mark Taylor described his experience:
 

“We simply sat down and said to ourselves we can sit here and feel sorry for ourselves...or we can get our butts into the studio and figure out how to reinvent ourselves and at least survive this event." - IDEA Studio, Hilton Head, SC

While survey responses are still coming in and we might reevaluate our data again, at the time of exporting these results, 3,494 people across the United States and parts of Canada identify in the following ways: